If you prefer your Hunter Valley fine wines in a quiet, peaceful setting, go for Broke. That’s what prompted Danish-born Karin Adcock to purchase what was then Pooles Rock Vineyard, now renamed Winmark Wines (Danish for ‘field of vines’), in Broke.

The Broke-Fordwich region of the Hunter lies at the south-western end of the Hunter Valley, away from the main tourist traffic and is known for its smaller, boutique wineries. There is, of course, still an immovable Pooles Rock on the Winmark property, named after the monolith that the former convict, Richard Poole, was known to escape to for a safe sleep. (As a monolith, it is a very miniature cousin to other famous rocks such as Uluru, the Rock of Gibraltar, and El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.)

Although the undeniably picturesque nature of the vineyard certainly appealed to Karin Adcock, the successful (Pandora jewellery) businesswoman also saw the potential in the 11 hectares of vines that had been neglected by the previous short-term owners, AGL Energy. The company purchased the vineyard after the death of Macquarie Bank co-founder, David Clarke, the original owner of Pooles Rock, Cockfighter’s Ghost and Firestick Wines.

Karin is quick to acknowledge that her background in wines and vineyards only came from the perspective of someone who enjoyed wines and the romanticised lifestyle that vineyard ownership represented.